Mike Williams' hopes with the Jets grow after the receiver overcomes the injury hurdle

Mike Williams is not quite ready yet.

“But he’s close,” the Jets’ new wide receiver said after practice on Monday.

Williams, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract in the offseason, was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 7 and has been participating in individual drills since then.

However, he has not yet participated in competitive team practices, which represents the next big hurdle in his rehab after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in Week 3 of last year with the Chargers.

“He's making good progress,” head coach Robert Saleh said Monday. “Right now, it's just about continuing to build his confidence. It's going to be more of a mental block than anything else. But I think he's doing a good job.”

Williams is confident he will be cleared for team practice next week.

“I'm always excited,” Williams said. “This is what we do. I mean, we play football. So when you get the opportunity to go out there, you're excited. So I'm excited for the opportunity to work out with the quarterbacks and see how far this goes.”

The 29-year-old Williams – who was selected No. 7 overall by the Chargers in the 2017 draft – surpassed the 1,000 receiving yards mark twice in his seven years with the team and also scored 31 receiving touchdowns during his time there.

The Jets signed him as their second wide receiver position and as a partner to star Garrett Wilson.

Playing alongside an elite weapon is a role Williams is certainly used to.

“I've played with Keenan Allen pretty much my whole career,” Williams said. “He's gotten a lot of attention. That's opened up some opportunities for me. When I come here, I have Garrett. Everyone knows he's one of the best receivers in this league. I'll get some opportunities if guys want to double him or however they play it.”

“I am prepared for every situation, [I’ve] I've proven that I can do a lot of different things. I'm just looking forward to the opportunity.”

The extra attention on Wilson, who caught 178 passes for 2,145 yards and seven touchdowns in his first two seasons in the league, has certainly created opportunities for other Jets receivers to prove themselves.

Their problem, however, was that no one came even close to achieving this goal.

The Jets hoped Allen Lazard would fill that role, signing him to a four-year, $44 million contract last year to reunite quarterback Aaron Rodgers with one of his favorite weapons from the Packers.

But Lazard struggled through a nightmarish first season with the Jets, recording just 23 catches for 311 yards and one touchdown.

At the end of the season, he was inactive for three games due to poor health.

Lazard has had mixed results in his second training camp and preseason with the team and remains a big question mark.

This also applies to the entire Jets receiver team except Wilson.

After Wilson's 1,042 receiving yards last year, the team's next-best yards came from tight end Tyler Conklin with 621 and Breece Hall with 591.

The next receiver on the list? That would be Lazard. Xavier Gipson is expected to play a more prominent role this year and the Jets traded up to the first pick of the third round to draft rookie receiver Malachi Corley.

Williams has now been able to observe his new offensive as a spectator for a few weeks – what new impulses does he expect?

“I feel like I can make plays,” Williams said. “Whether it's down the field, between the hashes or outside the numbers, it doesn't matter. Just make plays. Be a physical guy in the run game. Just add another element to the offense, another threat.”

Williams has been running the same routes on his own that his teammates have been running on the field and believes he has a good handle on the playbook and will be ready once he gets the go-ahead.

He thanked Rodgers for keeping him updated.

“If I need something, I ask a question,” Williams said. “'This is where I expect you to be when I do this. When I do this, I'm signaling that I expect this.' I think communication is just a big thing. Staying in touch so I don't miss anything when I'm out there.”